2005 Kia Sportage Sport Utility Vehicle Reviews & Ratings

The all-new Kia Sportage offers generous interior space for passengers and cargo, a benefit of its long wheelbase. Its design also allows the doors to be wider than they might otherwise be for better access, especially in the rear seats. The Honda CR-V is the only close competitor with greater rear seat leg room, and it's a much longer vehicle.

Front-seat occupants get decent bucket seats with good side support. Sportage models with automatic transmissions get a large center console with a big armrest. A hook to the right of the center stack is provided for holding a purse or shopping bag. Plenty of cup holders and storage nooks and crannies make for a convenient cabin.

The dashboard is neatly laid out with a small instrument panel in front of the steering wheel with a large speedometer in the center, a smaller tachometer to the left and the water temperature and gas gauge in a combined matching gauge to the right. All are easy to read. The center stack is located high up so the large knobs for climate controls and stereo system can be reached easily. Overall the interior look, as one would expect, is not luxurious, but neither is it cheap looking.

Rear-seat passengers will find getting in and out is fairly easy as the rear wheel arch does not encroach into the door opening as much as on many small vehicles. There is also a decent amount of head and leg room for a vehicle this size. Even more impressive is the fact the rear seats can be reclined up to 18 degrees for increased comfort, a feature usually only found on expensive luxury cars.

If it is cargo you want to carry the Sportage delivers the goods. First the back of front passenger seat folds down providing a table top for the driver and allowing for carrying long objects. The rear seat splits 60/40 and folds down almost flat without having to remove the headrests, which is a great convenience. Kia calls the arrangement "Drop & Fold" as the lower seat cushion automatically moves forward and down when the seat back is released resulting in an almost flat floor.

There is also a rear cargo storage area under the floor for holding tools or hiding valuables. A rear cargo cover (standard on the EX and optional on the LX) hides things in the back when the rear seats are in use. A net is also included to keep things from moving around on the floor.

The window in the rear tailgate can be opened independently so small packages or grocery bags can be placed inside without having to lift up the whole tailgate.

Most vehicles in this segment are powered by four-cylinder engines and consequently tend to be underpowered, especially with automatic transmission and 4WD. The answer is a larger V6 engine, as offered in the Ford Escape and Jeep Liberty. However, that adds several thousand dollars to the sticker price.

Kia offers a V6 engine in the Sportage that ends up costing no more than a four-cylinder model from Honda or Toyota. That's why Kia expects the V6-powered LX model to be the most popular model in the lineup.

Because of this we concentrated on trying out the V6 models during a day of driving over various roads along the California coast north of San Francisco. But first we were lucky enough to get our hands on a four-cylinder LX model with automatic transmission and front-wheel drive.

Driving up the hilly streets in downtown San Francisco we found the four-cylinder Sportage LX was fine as long as you pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor and didn't mind listening to a high-revved four banger. The Sportmatic automatic transmission lets the driver shift manually when desired, allowing him or her to keep the engine revving in one gear. From a performance point of view the four-cylinder engine is fine if you drive solo and spend most of your time around town.

We found the ride on the rough sections of San Francisco streets commendable. The Sportage is no sports car, but the handling is competent. Like a car, the Sportage rides on a four-wheel independent suspension.

We were pleased to discover that the ride and handling of a 4WD Sportage EX was all but identical to that of the base 2WD LX model, so there is no ride/handling penalty for adding the V6 and 4WD components. What's more impressive is that the fuel consumption from the V6, which only drops by three miles to the gallon, according to the EPA figures.

The 4WD system is sophisticated enough to direct the power to the wheels with the best grip. We didn't get the opportunity to drive in any real off-road conditions, but think it should work well in all but the toughest rock climbing environments. In normal dry driving conditions the permanent 4WD system directs up to 99 percent of the power to the front wheels only. The center differential can be locked for really slippery conditions, splitting power 50/50 front to rear. We drove down one fairly rough dirt track and found the ride was considerably smoother than in a sports car we happened to drive on the same track.

Overall, we had no complaints about the steering feel or the braking characteristics especially considering this is an inexpensive SUV with good cargo and passenger carrying capabilities. True, it's not a sports sedan nor does it feel like a truck. In reality, the Sportage is a really good in-between vehicle that should satisfy the majority of people who need an easy-to-handle vehicle that does not take up too much space on the road or in the parking lot.

The all-new Kia Sportage comes in two trim levels, LX and EX. Buyers choose between four-cylinder and V6 engines with a choice of transmissions, and two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

The entry-level Sportage LX ($15,900) comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, manual transmission and front-wheel drive. Air conditioning is optional, however ($800). Apart from this it is well equipped including power door locks, windows and mirrors. And it has more safety features than any other vehicle on the market at this price.

Opt for a four-speed Sportmatic automatic transmission with air conditioning and the four-cylinder engine and the LX stickers for $17,500. The four-cylinder LX with electronically controlled on-demand 4WD and manual transmission jumps to $17,900 but does include air conditioning.

The LX is also available with a 2.7-liter V6 engine and automatic transmission for $18,500 with front-wheel drive or $19,700 with 4WD.

The EX ($19,999) adds an upgraded stereo system with cassette and MP3 players, power sunroof, power heated mirrors, front fog lights, remote keyless entry, trip computer, rear cargo cover and net, leather wrapped steering wheel and upgraded trim. Externally it gets body color side cladding and fender flares. It comes standard with an automatic transmission and 2WD. The 4WD version goes for $21,400.

Leather seats are available for the EX ($800). A luxury package including leather seats, upgraded stereo, heated front seats and other amenities is another option ($1300). Options for all models include side step bars ($340), rear spoiler ($150), tow hitch ($340), cargo tray ($75) and cross bars ($185).

Safety features standard on all models includes dual advanced front airbags, dual front-seat side-impact airbags (for torso protection) and front and rear curtain airbags (for head protection in a side impact or rollover). All five seating positions get three-point seatbelts and the front ones have pretensioners with force limiters. Seat belts are your first line of defense in any crash, so always wear them.

Active safety features that can help you avoid a crash include four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD). Every Sportage comes with an electronic stability control system (ESP) and as well as a traction control system (TCS).